Benefits of Bicycling Health, Environment, Livability

Why bike? How about saving time, saving money, improving your health and helping your community. And, along the way, you’ll have fun!

Saving Time
Most trips in town are less than two miles. This means that even at an easy pace you can arrive in about 10 minutes, with no parking hassles. A benefit of biking longer trips, such as your commute to work, is you can skip going to the gym that day.
Saving Money
When you bike, you save money usually spent at the pump. Plus, oil changes, tune-ups, tire replacement and parking become more affordable. You can even save money on auto insurance if you drive fewer miles per year. Some families find they can eliminate the need for a second car by using bikes.
Improving Your Health
Pop Quiz: Which is a greater health hazard?
• Negotiating traffic
• Sitting on the couch

If you guessed the couch, you’re right! The surgeon general suggests that significant health benefits can be obtained by 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. You don’t have to ride like you’re in the Tour de France to see and feel the positive effects of biking!

Helping Your Community
You can reduce air and water pollution, create safer streets for kids, support a quieter neighborhood, lessen the need for expensive road repair, and create a friendlier environment to live in. Start with a bike! It’s a cost-effective way to do your part for the community.

The Best Reason of All
Regular cyclists will tell you they arrive at work feeling happy, even when the weather is dismal. Scientists struggle to explain this phenomenon, citing endorphins and increased oxygen flow to the brain. But the best proof is in the faces of your neighborhood kids—they’re experts at finding the fun stuff to do, and getting on a bike is usually one of them.